What most of us cherish does not interest God

MANY people have played the game of naming two or three things they would take with them if their home was threatened by fire.

It is fascinating how many people will name items that preserve family history and old memories — photograph albums, objects that remind us of key moments in life – memories we rightly treasure. They help us remember who we are.

King David was an older man when he wrote Psalm 23 and you can read that psalm as a kind of refection upon his life memories – his personal “snapshots” from the days before the invention of photography.

In the psalm, David remembers his youthful days as a shepherd – days when God provided for him, just as he provided for the sheep in his care.

Then came those mid-life crises which thrust him into the “dark valley of the shadows”, days when he found God was truly there for him despite his faults and failings.

Latterly, his focus was on God’s consistent provision: “Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.”

Many of us measure our lives by some assessment of success — by our achievements, by our financial status and the security it brings, by our popularity, by things we have achieved and which we value as part of our identity.

The fascinating thing about Psalm 23 is that there is no mention of David’s success in ruling the nation, no mention of his huge wealth or wide acclaim.

Instead, all his value is drawn from how much God has, is and will continue to care for him. The memories still matter but they are not the same things many of us value.

I am in process of retiring after 35 years as vicar of Holy Trinity Church in Henley. I have loved my time living here. I have made some wonderful friendships across the local community.

I am grateful for so much and would love to thank so many who have brought me joy and helped me through my own dark valleys. There are lots of people and memories I treasure.

But ultimately, like King David, what I value most is how much God has loved and cared for me and my family.

I’d love for us to get a chance to be flies on the wall when people reach the pearly gates of heaven. I suspect we would be in for a few surprises.

People would turn up with all sorts of stories of what they had achieved in life – and perhaps find that those things mean very little… while humble arrivals with perhaps only a small faith in a great God would be welcomed with open arms.

What God looks for is unlikely to be what most of us cherish!

My prayer as I retire is that God would help us value, not how long we have worked in our profession, or what experiences we have had, or what we have achieved along the way, but instead how we have lived in the light of His love and grace.